I thought Dubai and Shanghai had the craziest, most futuristic architecture in the planet. Sorry Taiwan, you and your Taiwan Tower—a 984-foot (300 meter) high structure with mechanized observation platforms that float using helium and propellers—win.

Originally conceptualized by Romanian architect Stefan Dorin, the tower will be the tallest building in Taichung, Taiwan. At its base, the tower will include a museum, restaurant, offices and a conference center, while the pods—filled with helium and powered by propellers—will glide up and down the tower, tethered to tracks, carrying 50 to 80 people that will be able to enjoy a panoramic view of the island and the sea. Like a Ferris wheel from space, in vertical format.

According to the designers, the floating observatories are inspired by video games. To me, the whole thing seems to belong inside EVE Online. The design will be the base for the real project, which is scheduled to begin in 2012. [DSBA via Dezeen, EarthTime and Pop-Sci]